A Princess in No Castle
by Crescent Blue
Summary: ON PERMANENT HIATUS! Although a fair and beloved monarch, Princess Peach is in a never-ending loop of peril. Such an inept princess...or is she?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is slightly based upon the "Bad End NighT" Vocaloid series. No, this is not a Mario/Vocaloid crossover fic, but it does have some inspirations from that series. I've had a theory about the Mario games for a while and I'm going to try to materialize it through this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mario. All content and characters belong to Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo, and company.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 _A trip to Mushroom Castle's library would have been an uneventful occasion for anyone who lived within the castle walls. For Princess Peach, it was anything but._

 _The story began with a book. One of many like it._

 _o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

"It's such a perfect day today! I haven't been to the library in a while. I need to see if everything is in order. Maybe I can get some new books added to it!"

Princess Peach idled through the hallways greeting the many Toads who worked in the castle.

Opening the doors to the expansive room, the pink princess marveled at how many books were amassed on the vast shelves.

"Hmm, I don't remember the library having this many books? I wonder if the Toads added some of their own literature to the collection? The library seems to get bigger every week!"

Making her way to a desk with a pile of books, the princess selected the first book on the top of the pile. It was somewhat musty, but still in great condition.

The blonde princess grew absorbed in the stories that flowed from the pages. The story seemed to tell itself. Making quick work of the previous story, Peach reached for the next in line.

After completed three of her selected books, it was as if a spark of eerie realization came over the Mushroom Princess.

 _'They all tell the same story, but with different variations.'_ Princess Peach grabbed more books off of the shelves which only deepened her confusion.

 _ **A monster king raids a castle. The princess is stolen. She is rescued after the hero's long, harrowing journey. In some cases, the princess invites the hero over for cake. Yet another instance, the princess was on vacation with the hero and his brother on an island when the attack occurs. Yet still: the princess, the hero and his brother are in a movie telling the same occurrences. There were even times where the kidnappings were perpetrated by villains other than the monster king. A mournful count, an evil alien princess, to name a couple. There were even nonsensical variations where all of the characters played sports together. But what was most unsettling, the princess in those stories looked like her.**_

"What could it mean? The princess in those stories clearly looks like me. What's more is that the layout of the Mushroom Kingdom and my very castle changes with each reiteration." Princess Peach's confusion began to become laced with fear.

"If what I've read is true, why don't I remember any of those attacks? Is this simply a method of documenting all of the previous attacks on myself and the castle? But that still doesn't explain why I have no memory of them. Nor why the castle and very kingdom have changed appearances. I would say that it's an elaborate attempt to protect me, but something that drastic must've been noticed by a lot of people."

"If the others in this castle know of these attacks, they aren't being very vigilant about anything. These attacks have happened often. If the books I've read already are any indication, the rest of the books in this room are variations of the same story."

With that, the princess left the library quite shaken. She needed to get her mind off of these bizarre revelations. She'd go for a walk. That would surely settle her mind...

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It should've been a simple task. Taking a walk was the most basic forms of relaxation and enjoyment.

"Gwa ha ha ha! My sweetest Peach girl! How nice of you to come to me for once! Awesome!" a cheerful Bowser snatched the hapless Princess before she could get far from the castle. A panicked Toad ran off towards the home of the Mushroom Kingdom's hero.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Mushroom Kingdom monarch sighed as Boomerang Bros. and Koopa Patrols escorted her to a room deep within Bowser's Castle. _'Wow. Bowser's Castle sure has changed.'_

Princess Peach froze. "How would I know that? I've never witnessed the other times he's kidnapped me!"

"What are you talking about lady? This is the first time that the great Repugnant Lord Bowser has abducted you." a Koopa Patrol snapped.

 _'The first time? They don't remember either? It's almost as if this world is caught in a never-ending loop. But why? Is this a dream? Or is this world the product of a curse?'_

The slamming of her prison doors signified a different type of capture. She was imprisoned in a whirlpool of unsettling thoughts.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Well, should I continue? I'm anxious to see how this goes. I haven't written a multi-chapter saga in years. I don't intend for this to be too long though. Leave a review if you'd like! Thanks for reading! :-)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter two is here! I'm sorry, but I suck at fight scenes. If you've played any Mario, you have a good idea of how Bowser gets defeated. XD

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"So long, me Bowser!" and a furious roar indicated the defeat of the Koopa King.

"Mario!" came a cheerful cry as the short, plump hero in red and blue awaited his reward.

' _I wonder how many times they've done this routine? I feel that they are tired of always coming to my rescue. Or are they experiencing something similar to me as well? Mario and his brother must realize that something is not quite right about this place. I have to ask them somehow.'_

The trek back to Mushroom Castle was long, but once the ragtag group arrived, the worried Toads gave a joyous welcome to their beloved princess and favorite hero. The Princess invited Luigi over and the group enjoyed raspberry almond cake.

Once the festivities were over, Princess Peach intended to ask Mario and Luigi if they noticed anything strange. However, before she could make any move to do so, it was if her body was on autopilot. She bade farewell to the brothers and made her way back to her personal chambers.

Unbeknownst to her, the environment outside was engulfed in an eerie white glow. The landscape began to crumble and then reform itself…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Man, it's a really peaceful day today, huh bro?" Luigi inquired of a silent Mario who was idly kicking his legs. "It almost feels like we've done this many times before."

Mario gave off a series of enthusiastic nods.

"I really wish you would talk more like you used to do, bro." Luigi startled himself with his own words. "Wait, where did all of that come from? I'm rambling again. Just ignore me, bro."

"Hmm..." Mario held his chin between his thumb and pointer finger as he contemplated his brother's words.

He did speak more often before, but he couldn't remember where and when he did. It wasn't as if he could ask his brother to explain in further detail at the moment.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Princess Peach made her way towards the library once again. She took mental notes on the changes in the castle. The library that was once on the first floor was now on the second.

"This is amazing! I can remember the previous event! If my hunch is correct, it will be added as another variation in the library. And once again, the landscape has changed since the library is not where it once was. before."

The Toads overheard their princess's conversation with herself as she passed through the halls and stared after her confused and perturbed. What changes? Everything is the same as it always was.

Sure enough, the princess found a new book on the library's vast shelves that detailed the exact events she remembered.

"Yes! However, I have to figure out why it repeated itself though. Was there something that we or I did wrong? Also, why am I the only one who is noticing all of this? Wait, it must be because I looked in the books! I bet that all of those other times I didn't actually read the books. I just came to check the inventory and moved on. Whatever spell or power's at work here must not have expected me to read them. They contained this world's secret!"

 _This world…_

"What is this place exactly? It feels so fake now. And if it is fake, how did I arrive here? What was I before?"

To attempt to answer those questions, she would have to search for the beginning.

"Every series has a starting point. However, it's not going to be easy to find it. This library is like a city!"

The Princess heard a familiar sound. An explosion rocked the castle. Someone was coming for her again.

"Ha, ha. I wonder if it's Bowser again. Or maybe someone else wants me this time. No matter. I'm too close to finding answers. 'Princess Peach' would normally be in her throne room trembling in fear waiting for a miracle to arrive before she was stolen…

I'm sorry to disappoint you."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Thanks for reading as always!


	3. Chapter 3

This new attacker roared in a way that was unlike Bowser.

"So, it's not Bowser this time. It sounds like an actual dragon this time." Peach mused as she hastily made her way back towards her chambers. She couldn't be kidnapped now. She was too close to discovering this strange world's secrets. If she failed to defend herself, she hoped that she would still remember the events prior.

The blonde princess recalled reading about a time where she was the heroine and the Mario Bros were the damsels. She used a parasol as her weapon of choice. If something so commonplace had helped her defeat fearsome foes before, it should do the same now. At least, that was what her hope was.

She had made it up the long stairwell to her chambers and grabbed a pink parasol. It looked significantly different to the yellow and blue she'd seen in the variation, but it would have to do.

Peach made her way back towards the source of the chaos.

An ice dragon was currently razing her throne room. 'My throne room. Heh. It feels as if I don't belong here.'

In front of the dragon were two familiar faces. Mario and Luigi were both battling the beast. Mario was frozen in a block of ice and Luigi was on the attack.

The Green Thunder launched himself into the air with his superior jumping skills, but failed to notice a large block of ice forming below him.

'Now is my chance. I've been a damsel for too long. I'm going to change that perspective here and now.'

The princess ran into the fray as the block of ice was launched at Luigi. With a grand leap of her own and a swing of her parasol, the royal knocked the offensive ice block out of the air before it could hit the younger Mario brother.

"I don't know how or why, but this umbrella is very formidable!"

"Princess! Are you sure you want to join us? It's not safe!" Luigi protested after he landed a powerful hit while pulling off some stylish moves. The younger brother fired emerald-toned fireballs at his frozen brother which released the older, red-clad brother.

Mario shivered, but quickly regained control of his faculties. With a quick look of surprise at the Princess's presence, he turned back to their foe.

"I've never been more sure of anything. And if this battle goes in our favor, I'd like to show you something that you'll find intriguing."

An ice pillar formed upon the ceiling and came crashing down on the princess. The brothers began to make a frantic scramble towards the royal, but were stopped in their tracks.

Peach had used her parasol as a shield. The ice pillar was reduced to rubble leaving the princess unharmed. "Oh wow! I didn't think that would actually work!"  
"Princess, come to me!" the dragon hissed. "Our king must be revived!"

"Not happening, buddy! Watch as Luigi punishes you for your evilness!" the younger, but taller brother proclaimed as he fired a flurry of fireballs at the dragon. The blasts made contact and the dragon shrieked in pain.

Mario followed up with his own red, flaming spheres.

"Of course, fire is the best offense against ice. What can I do to help? I can't shoot fireballs." Peach eyed her surroundings, but not seeing much to help. "I do have this weird ability to pluck things out of the ground. I hope I can uproot a Bob-Omb or a Stitch-Face Turnip."

Peach stooped down and pulled. It was a Smiley Turnip. "That's not going to do any good!"  
She tossed it and pulled again. A Bob-Omb.

She tossed the Bob-Omb at the dragon's face. It detonated upon impact leaving the dragon damaged and dizzy. Mario and Luigi combined their attacks with a move they called Fire Bros. Mario would toss Fire Balls at Luigi who then relayed them all towards the dragon.

"GRAAAAAA!" the dragon fainted and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Now that the day was won, Peach led the two brothers to her library.

"You both need to read through these books." Peach directed.

"I-I knew it, bro! I told you that we've done this whole thing many times before!" Luigi held one of the books in shaking hands.

"Yeah!" Mario concurred.

"Do you two have any idea of why this is happening?" Peach ventured. She realized that they may be as lost as she was, but it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the world's heroes would unknowingly hold some clues.

"No, I don't think we have anything to answer that question." Luigi sadly supplied. Mario shook his head to affirm.

"Well, I was just about to search for the beginning of the series before that dragon attacked. The fact that I wasn't kidnapped this time has throw everything off course. There may be other threats to try and correct the situation. But we should worry about that as they happen. For now, we need to find the first entry in the series! Will you please help me?"

The brothers gave an enthusiastic leap to signify their answer.

"You two are just wonderful! Well, I don't know what the first volume looks like, but it has to be in here somewhere."

The trio began their trek through the vast library in search of the book in question.

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A/N: Thus ends the third chapter. Many thanks to all of the readers, but invisible and not!


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey guys! I think I found it!" Luigi came running with the book in question. The green-clad plumber had gotten lost in the library when he noticed a guiding light emanating from the top row of a distant bookshelf. His happy cry alerted the others who grew worried at his disappearance.

"Nice work, Luigi! I was starting to worry about you!" Luigi bashfully kicked the floor as Peach fussed over him.

Peach took the ivory and gold book and placed it on the table. The three pivotal characters gathered around anxiously. They did not know what to expect, but there was only one way to find out.

Peach grasped the cover and opened the book to the first page.

 _"Herein lies a tale of unrequited love and unspoken dreams. Two men, one woman, and an underappreciated brother. 'If only she could love me.' the brave gentleman loved by all others wished. 'If only she could love me.' the lonely, misunderstood brute pitifully pouted. "If only I was as brave and loved as my brother." the brave gentleman's younger brother sighed._

 _These seemingly futile hopes and dreams were strong within these folk. So strong in fact that it created a bizarre world. A world that repeats the same story with no end or progression in sight. They are faced with difficult choices. They can leave this world and leave their feelings jumbled as they are or they can remain until all come to a feasible resolution. To leave, simply burn the library. All will be erased and you will return to your former selves. If you wish to remain and work through things, the world will end once you've all reached a resolution._

 _Only until these issues are resolved, will this world finally dissolve."_

All three stared in silence.

"...I...I just can't believe this..." Peach trembled. "It's my fault that we're stuck here?"

"No, no!" Mario rapidly shook his head. Vague memories of their past selves were beginning to trickle into their minds.

"I think that it's all of our faults. That's if what the book says is true." Luigi assuaged.

"But the book is asking us to make miracles happen!" Peach scowled at this unwelcome information. "I mean, I'm not ungrateful that Mario has rescued me so many times. I just hate this game we're in. Bowser's not that horrible once you get to know him. As I read over the other rounds, it appears that Bowser has fallen for me! He doesn't attack me when I was captured. He just offered me a bunch of gifts and Piranha Plant flowers...The gifts were odd, but at least he never hurt me right?"

"Hmm..."

"Well, that's good that Bowser doesn't hurt you, but still..." Luigi was at a loss. "Um...well...to take a break from that for a moment, I don't know how to go about my own problem. I just wish that I had the recognition that my superstar bro has. But I can't force everyone to like me!"

"There must be a mutual solution that we can all reach! We just have to work hard at it. No distractions!" Despite the difficulties, Peach refused to take a pessimistic stance.

Mario waved his hand to grab Peach's attention.

"Huh? You think I'm being too optimistic about this?" Peach blushed in embarrassment at his accusation. Mario nodded an affirmation.

"Um, Princess, I think your kindness is your worst quality at times." Luigi bashfully admitted. "Sorry, but I wanted to say that for a while."

"Oh my. This is going to be much more difficult that I thought."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


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